The quake hit at about 8:45 p.m., and was about nine miles east of Salem and four miles southwest of Silverton, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck near Salem on Saturday night.

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck near Salem on Saturday night.

KGW

Residents in the area told KGW they felt some shaking but it didn't last long.

"It felt like a real quick jolt but big enough to stop my heart momentarily," said Silverton resident Sonya Stiff. "I was watching TV and it made me jump. Strong but quick!"

Recently, a 4.0 earthquake struck near Molalla in December and was felt throughout the Willamette Valley. A 3.9 earthquake also struck near Mount Saint Helens in January. It was the strongest earthquake around the mountain since 1981.

Seismologists expect an earthquake of at least a magnitude of 8.0 to hit the Northwest, with a one in three chance of "the big one" happening in the next 50 years. That earthquake is expected to cause widespread damage in Oregon and Washington.

Historical records show a magnitude 8.0 or higher earthquake has jolted the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate at the Cascadia subduction zone off the Northwest coast every few hundred years. The last big earthquake is estimated to have struck the Northwest around 1700.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Reactions to the Earthquake near Salem

Just felt earthquake at home with loud bang and house shaking briefly. Turns out it is a 3.2 mag just north of us by about 6 miles near Pratum. Very rare for us and not like the two 6 plus mag earthquakes I endured in mid 80's in S Cal.